More to the Story with Staley: The Old Hildabrand House

POLK COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — It’s pouring rain here in Polk County. Good for ducks, that’s about it. This is the “Hildabrand” area of the county. But Hunter Raby and I are nice and dry inside his home. Inside the Hildabrand house.

What does it mean? It means if you travel down this long dirt road, you come to Hunter’s house. The Hildabrand house.

It’s the oldest house in Polk County!

“It’s where I second guessed myself a few times. I thought ‘man, did I ever screw up buying this.’ But now, seeing the progress we’ve made, it’s really worth it,” Hunter Raby said.

How old you ask? Well, it was built in 1835, back when Andrew Jackson was the president.

It had sat vacant for about five years until Hunter and his wife Jess bought it last year.

They’ve done a lot so far to spruce it up. But have kept much of the original décor. The staircase is original, and so is much of the paneling. And you can’t see them, but in a closet, there are handmade nails, by a blacksmith.

Oh, they needed to install a septic tank too. Never had one before.

“Literally an outhouse. You wouldn’t think in 2023 it would be like that. But this house never had a septic tank until we bought it,” Raby added.

This is not only the oldest house in Polk County. It’s also the oldest house south of the Ocoee River. Documented.

Hunter grew up in Polk County. He always knew about this house and it’s history. A history which includes being a “Trail of Tears” site!

“Michael Hildebrand moved in back in 1835. Tennessee actually found documentation,” Raby explained. “He lived here until the Trail of Tears. And then he bought it back from the government.”

Hunter says he and wife Jess have been “homeless” for the past year, while working on this house.

They hope to move in this summer, to give this old home new life.